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Phillip Fulmer returns to speak to Tennessee football team

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Phillip Fulmer, left, waves to the crowd at the Tennessee Orange and White game in 2009. Fulmer, who won 152 games as UT's head coach from 1992-2008, returned to the Vols' practice field for the first time since 2008 on Tuesday. (Associated Press)

Phillip Fulmer had not been back to a Tennessee practice since being dismissed as the Volunteers in 2008 -- until this week.

At the request of current UT head coach Butch Jones, Fulmer addressed the team Tuesday.

"It's good to be back," Fulmer said in a UT release. "I'm just here to be supportive. Butch certainly has brought a good spirit to the team, to the practice field. It's obvious he cares about Tennessee."

Calling Fulmer "a great resource," Jones said it's only natural to want to have him involved in the program. Fulmer's teams won 152 games from 1992-2008 and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

"It's a part of who we are," Jones said during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference. "He's one of those individuals who was instrumental in getting our 800-plus program wins. ... That's one of those things that makes Tennessee who we are -- the tradition that we have. I thought it was great for our players to hear his message, I think it's great for program to have him around."

Fulmer told the Volunteers (2-2) about the 1994 team, which started 1-3 but won seven of its last eight -- including a win over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl -- to finish 8-4.

"That team laid the foundation for what turned out to be the best era in Tennessee modern history," Fulmer said in the UT release. "That's this team's goal, to be the very best they can be daily, and that's exactly what Butch said to them in his meetings today. I think he's exactly on the right page and hopefully we'll continue getting better and better."

Jones said he's spent a lot of time around Fulmer since taking over at Tennessee this year and "I could tell that it meant a lot" to the former coach to speak to the team.

"When he addressed the football team, you could see the passion for Tennessee, you could see the passion for football, you could see all that come out," he said. "Those are things that a football coach, when you get before a team, that you can't hide. I thought his message was right on target. It was great to have him back."